Irish builders jailed for trade unionism

A thousand people protested last week in support of three jailed bricklayers in Dublin, Ireland.

Andrew Clarke, Keith Kelly and Billy McClurg were imprisoned two weeks ago for defying an injunction against taking part in a protest at a building site in Ballybrack, County Dublin.

Bricklayers left their work to take part in the protest. The men began their protest earlier this month at the Laurel Avenue site amid claims that Collen Construction and its subcontractors were refusing to employ trade union members.

The men started the protest at the site in defence of trade union rights and “proper labour standards”. Relatives say the three bricklayers had not been given a job because they were members of the Building and Allied Trades Union.

The company is building 70 new homes for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

One Dublin bricklayer said, “These men are languishing in a mouldy prison where they shouldn’t be. The injunction must be lifted immediately and the men released.

“These are three trade unionists who have been jailed unjustly for fighting for union rights. The trade union movement needs to fight to get these men out of jail immediately.”

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